Christmas roast in the oven

2017-12-19 | Cathie Campbell

MJ/http://freerangestock.com/
Beef roasts are a popular choice for holiday dinners.

There are so many kinds of roasts to choose from, if you are planning to serve one at your Christmas dinner. Turkey breast roasts, pork loin roasts, all sorts of beef roasts or even a rack of lamb and for some people, roasts made from wild game. I like them all, but especially a rare prime rib or a rolled roast with a crispy, well-seasoned crust.

I thought I would dig through my recipe vault and see what I could come up with. Whatever you plan to have for your Christmas dinner, I hope you enjoy every second of the event and have a merry time!

And for those who do not celebrate Christmas, of course I hope you also enjoy the warmth, love and good food that goes along with many special occasions and gathering of family and friends.

Roast pork with maple and mustard glaze

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast

1 cup real maple syrup

4 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Place pork roast in a shallow roasting pan. Spread glaze evenly over the roast.

Many people are intimidated by a prime rib roast, but they really can be quite simple.

1 USDA Choice beef standing rib roast

Salt and pepper

Rosemary or garlic, if desired

1. Place roast fat side up in a roasting pan. Coat the exterior with salt and pepper. You can also rub on additional seasonings such as rosemary or garlic. Roast at 325 degrees.

2. Cook to desired doneness, using a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast as your guide: Rare, 12 to 13 minutes per pound, or to 120 degrees. Medium-rare, 16 to 17 minutes per pound, or to 125 to 130 degrees. Medium to medium-well, about 20 minutes per pound, or to 145 degrees. And don’t forget to let the roast stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Roast turkey breast

1 4- to 5-pound turkey breast, skin on

2 tablespoons melted butter

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock, for basting

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush turkey with the melted butter, then season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper.

2. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting twice with stock, once after about 15 minutes and again about 15 minutes later.

3. When thermometer reads 155 degrees (F), remove the turkey breast from the oven. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Herbed roast beef

I would add desired amount of crushed or minced garlic to this recipe, or pierce the uncooked roast and insert whole or half garlic cloves. Also, it might be nice to insert a few springs of fresh rosemary.

1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 (4-pound) top sirloin beef roast, fat trimmed to 1/4-inch thickness

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper

1. Combine the parsley, thyme and shallot in bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb mixture to another bowl and stir in mustard and 1 tablespoon oil until combined. Add butter to remaining herb mixture and mash with fork until combined. Spread herb-mustard mixture over the outside of the meat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.